Extensible rail, particularly for trolley conveyer systems



Sept. 6, 1932. 1,876,373

' EXTENSIBLE RAIL, PARTICULARLY Fon TROLLEY coNvEYER SYSTEMS P. v.WHITNEY Filed Sept. 19, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

1| 1| uLl lll Sept. 6, 1932. P. v. WHITNEY EXTENSIBLE RAIL, PARTICULARLYFOR TROLLEY CONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 19, 1931 v5 Sheets-Sheet 2NVENTOR P. v. WHITNEY 1,876,373

EXTENSIBLE RAIL, PARTICULARLY FOR TROLLEY CONVEYER SYSTEMSV Sept. 6,1932.

Filed Sept. 19. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 rfi o, 9: IJNIIlll O\OWJ ,.rn. um

NVENTOR Pau/1f. Wh/'hey Y Patented Sept. 6, 19324 UNITED STATESl PATENTori-ICE -i PAUL V. WHITNEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGN OR TOTHE JEFFREYMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OIE' OHIOEXTENSIBLE RAIL, PARTICULAR/LY FOR TROLLEY CONVEYER SYSTEMS Applicationfiled September 19, 1931.

In trolley conveyer systems wherein trolleys connected by a flexibledraft device are adapted to travel along a trackway, 1t becomesnecessary to tension the'draft device to take up slack developedthroughWear of the parts. Elongation of the draft device naturally requiressimilar elongation of the trackway and it is the object of the presentinvention to provide an extensible rail of simple construction whichwill permit of elongation of the trackway without impairing itscontinuity.

According to the embodiment of the invention to be described, thetrackway is made up of Ifbeams having their webs vertically disposed sothat the top surfaces of their lower flanges are adapted for runningengagement by the trolley whe-els. Adjacent I-beam sections are mountedfor relative displacement and telescoping means are provided forbridging a gap, occurring through adjustment, between the lower flangesof the sections, the bridging means being preferably flush with the topsurfaces of the flanges and also with the lateral edges of the latterand possessing great strength and rigidity.

In applying the invention in practice` a substantially U-shaped tracksection is supported on a carriage which also supports a guide wheel forthe draft device which is trained about the wheel with its runs lyingbeneath the U-shaped track section. The carriage is influenced by acounter-weight, so that the draft device is constantly tensioned andslack taken up, the U-shaped track section at the same time beingdisplaced to elongate the trackway concomitantly with the elongation ofthe draft device, the bridging means coming into play to maintain thecontinuity of the trackway. The extensible rail of the presentinvention, however, may be utilized in other appropriate combinationsand consequently I, of course, do not limit.

myself in this respect.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the carriage and the supporting meanstherefor.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the devices shown in Figure 1.

Serial No. 563,831.

Figure 3 is a'section on line 3-3 of Figure 2. v

Figure 4 is an elevation of the telescopic portion of the track showingthe ends of fhe of the track portion shown in Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a plan view partly in section of the telescoping trackportion with the relatively displaccable sections substantially incontact.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates generally arectangular frame supporting at its corners pairs of flanged wheels 11and 12, which project into the channels of channel bars-13 and 14 totravel on the lower flanges of the latter which are horizontallydisposed. The channel bars are suitably braced and supported throughcross members 15, 16, 17 and 18. Between members 15 and 16 a pair ofbrackets 17 and 18 revolubly support a sheave 19, over which is traineda cable 20, whose upper end is fastened to the frame 10 as at 21 and towhose lower end is connected a counter-weight 22, Figure 2.

Bars 23 and 24 extending longitudinaly of the frame 10 have securedthereto a plate 25 which supports a downwardly projecting stud shaft 26upon which is revoluble a sprocket wheel 27. Also a U'-shaped I-beamsection 28 is secured to members 23 and 24 with its curved portionllying directly above the periphery of the sprocket wheel, the web ofthe I-beam being vertical.

I-beam sections 29 and 30 are supported externally of carriage 10 incontinuation of the parallel portions of the U-shaped track' section. Ashere shown, the ends of sections' 29 and 30 are secured beneath member18, which connects the ends of channels 13y and 14. Vith the carriage atits right hand limit dent *that counter-weight 22 exerts continapo noustension on the sprocket chain and as slack develops in the latter,carriage 10 move's to the left, causing a gap to exist between the endsof section 28 and sections 29 and 30. To bridge the gap thus formed thefollowing is provided: To the ends of section 28 and in longitud1- nallyprojecting relation thereto are secured bars 35 and 36 of exactlysimilar form. The bar 36 is particularly shown in Fi ures 3 to 6 andconsequently will be descri ed. Re-

ferring then to Figures 3 to 6, bar 36 whichv is secured beneath theflanges of section 28 and which is preferably equal in width to thewidth of the flanges is provided on its top lateral margins withparallel ribs 37 and 3.8, which are adapted vto serve as guide membersfor the end of section 30. The lower flanges 39 and 40 of section 30 areprovided adjacent the ends of the latter with longitudinally extendingrecesses 39 and 40', so that the recessed end of the vsection is adaptedfor `2'5 reception between ribs or guide members 37 and 38 with asliding fit. As may be seen from Figure 3, the inner faces of the ribsare undercut and thel edges of the recessed flange portions have amating conforma-` tion, sov that the parts mav be said to form adove-tailed 'oint. Due to the form of the joint, the ar 36 serves toretain sections 28 and 30 in strict alignment.

It will be further noted that the tops of the ribs are substantiallyflush with the top surfaces of the flanges, Figure 3, so that, as shown,the tread comprises inner and outer portions constituted by the flangesand ribs respectively. Between the ends of the ribs and the inner endsof. recesses 39 and 40 the tread will be constituted solely by thenarrowed flange portions and betweenthe Vends of the I-beam sectionssolely by ribs 37 and 38. Since th^l ribs and narrowed flange portionsare complementary, it will be evident that'the trolley wheels can travelon both or pass from one to the other without shock. Also', since thelateral dimension of the bar is the same as the lateral dimension of thefull lower flanges, no change in the form of trolley hanger isnecessitated.

It will be understood that various modications of the describedstructures are possible without departure from the scope of theinvention as defined in the following claims and while I have shown anddescribed my extensible-rail in a particular installation, it is to beunderstood that I do lnot limit myself in this respect. i

I claim:

1. .An extensible rail for trolley conveyers, said rail comprisingI-beam sections in end to end relation with their webs substantiallyyvertically disposed, means for supporting said sections for relativedisplacement, and means for bridging a gap between the lower flanges ofthe sections comprising parallel guide members'iixed to one of saidsections to project longitudinall thereof and between which the loweranges of the other section are received with a sliding fit, the tops ofthe guide members being substantially flush with the top surfaces ofsaid flanges. 2. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers, said railcomprising I-beam sections in end to end relation with their Webssubstantially vertically dis osed, means for supportin said sections orrelative displacement, an

, means for bridging a gap between the lower flanges of the sectionscomprising parallel guide members xed to one of said sections to projectlongitudinally thereof and byetween which the lower flanges of the'othersection are received with a sliding fit, the tops of the guide membersbeing substantially flush with the top surfaces vof said flanges, theend portions of the flanges of said other section being longitudinallyrecessed, the distance between the outer edges of the guides being thesame as the transverse dimension of the full flanges.

3. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers, said rail comprising I-beamsections in end to end relation with their webs substantially verticallydisposed, means for supporting said sections for relative displacement,and means for bridging a gap between the lower 1 flanges of thesections, said'means comprising a bar fixed in longitudinallyprojectingking a bar fixed in longitudinally projecting relation beneathone of said sections and provided on its top with parallel ribs betweenwhich the lower flanges of the other section arereceived with a slidingfit, the tops of the ribs being substantially flush with 'the topsurfaces of said flanges.

5. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers,

Said rail comprising I-beam sections in end to i end relation with theirwebs substantially vertically disposed, means for supporting saldsections for relativerdispl'acement, and means for bridging a gapbetween the lower flanges of the sections, saidmeans comprislng a barfixed in longitudinally projecting -relation beneath one of saidsections and provided on its top with parallel ribs between which ythelower flanges of the other section are received with a sliding fit, theribs having portions overlying the edges of the flanges of said othersection.

6. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers, said rail comprising I-beamsections in end to end relation with their webs substantiallyvertically.' disposed, means for supporting said sections for relativedisplacement, and means for bridging a gap between theI lower flanges ofthe' sections, said means comprising a bar fixed in longitudinallyprojecting relation beneath one of said sections and provided along itstop longtudinal margins with parallel ribs, the flanges of the othersection being longitudinally recessed and received between said ribswith a sliding fit, the width of said barv being the same as the widthoflthe full anges. 'l

7. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers, said rail comprisin I-beamsections in end to end relation wit their webs substantially. verticallydisposed, means for supporting j said sections for relativedisplacement, and

' means forbridging a gap between the lower flanges of the sections,said means comprising a bar fixed in lon itudinally projecting relationbeneath one o said sections and provided along its top longitudinalmargins with parallel ribs, the anges of the other section beinglongitudinally recessed and received 4 between said ribs with a slidingt, the width of said bar being the same as the width of the fullflanges, the inner faces of the ribs lbeing undercut and the edges ofthe recessed flange portions mating therewith;

8. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers,

' said railcomprising I-beam sections in end to end relation with theirwebssubstantially vertically dis osed, means 'for supporting saidsections or relative displacement, an

between which-the lower flanges of the other section are received withasliding lit, the end portions of the iianges of said other sectionbeinv longitudinally recessed and the guide mem ers being complementalto the recessed flange ortions to render the longitudinal lines o thesections substantially unbroken.

In testimony whereof I aiix m signature. a PAUL V. TNEY.

means for bridging a gap between the lower flanges of the sectlons, saidmeans comprising a barflxed in longitudinally projecting relationbeneath one of said sections and provided along its top longitudinalmargins with parallel ribs, theilanges of the other section beinglongitudinally recessed and received between said ribs with a sliding t,the width of said bar being the'same as the width of the full flanges,the inner faces of the ribs being undercut and the edges of the recessedY tlange portions mating therewith,I the tops'orl the ribs beingsubstantially flush with the top surfaces of .said flanges.

9. An extensible rail for trolley conveyers, said'rail comprising I-beamsections in end. to end relation with their webs substantiallyvertically disposed, means for supporting said sections for relativedisplacement, and

` means for bridging a gap betweenthe lower flanges of the sectionscomprising parallel o guide members fixed to one of said sections toproject longitudinally thereof and between which the lower flanges ofthe other section are `received with a sliding lit, the top surfaces ofsaid guide members comprising lat- 6 5 eral continuations of the topsurfaces of the ins' l los

